Minneapolis, the largest city in Minnesota and Saint Paul, the state capital, are often referred to as The Twin Cities. They are part of a larger Metropolitan Statistical Area that the US Census Bureau estimated had a population of 3,229,878 in 2008. Five Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Minneapolis.

Major roadways include: I-94 and its spur routes (I-494, I-694, and I-394) and I-35 which splits to become I-35W which serves Minneapolis and I-35E which serves St. Paul. Much of the local street system forms a grid pattern.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is the main airport serving the region. The airport is the sixteenth busiest passenger in the U.S. The airport serves three international, twelve domestic, seven charter, and four regional carriers and is a hub for Delta Air Lines, the carrier for 80% of the airport’s passengers.

Amtrak provides once a day service, in each direction, between Chicago and Seattle at nearby Midway Station in St. Paul.

Half of all Minneapolis and Saint Paul residents work in the same city where they reside[131] and although most drive to work, 60% of the 160,000 people who work downtown commute by some other means[132]. A variety of alternative transportation options are available. Seven miles of enclosed pedestrian bridges form the Minneapolis Skyway System which links eighty downtown city blocks and encourages walking in all weather conditions. The Minneapolis taxicab ordinance requires 10% wheelchair accessibility and some use of alternative fuel or fuel efficient vehicles. Starting in 2011 the city's limit of 343 taxis will be lifted.[137]Minneapolis ranks second in the nation for the highest percentage of commuters by bicycle.[138] Ten thousand cyclists use the bike lanes in the city each day.

The Downtown Minneapolis Transportation Management Organization (TMO) was created in 1991 by the City Council as a public-private partnership between the City and the downtown business community. The TMO promotes congestion mitigation strategies and advocates for environmentally sound transportation policies to help guide growth in Downtown Minneapolis and the region by providing a full range of services to support travel demand management strategies, increase employer/employee participation in transportation solutions, and advance public policies and practices regarding transportation issues and solutions. TMO members represent various business and public sectors and are approved by City Council.

The Minnesota Legislature established the Metropolitan Council in 1967 to coordinate planning and development within the Twin Cities metropolitan area and to address issues that could not be adequately addressed with existing governmental arrangements. Additional legislative acts strengthened the Council's planning and policy roles, and merged the functions of three agencies (the Metropolitan Transit Commission, the Regional Transit Board and the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission) into one body, the Metropolitan Council. The 17-member Metropolitan Council has 16 members who represent different geographic districts and one chair who serves at large. They are all appointed by the governor and confirmed by the State Senate. The Council delivers regional services related to the following: regional administration, community development, transportation, and environmental services. The Council has staff of 3,700 and an annual operating budget of about $700 million, 90 percent of which is funded by state appropriations and user fees such as wastewater treatment charges and transit fares. Ten percent comes from local property taxes. The bulk of the Council’s employees operate the region’s transit and regional wastewater treatment systems.

The Metropolitan Council operates Metro Transit, which provides s full range of transit services including light rail. Minnesota’s first light rail line, the Hiawatha Line, which began operation in 2004, connects Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport and Mall of America to downtown. A extension to the light rail line, the Central Corridor, is planned and will share stations with the Hiawatha line in downtown Minneapolis, and travel east through the University of Minnesota, and into downtown St. Paul. Construction will begin in 2010 and expected completion is in 2014.

Metro Transit also operates the Northstar Commuter rail, which began service in 2009. The 40 mile Northstar Line is the state’s first commuter rail line and funding is shared by the state and federal governments, regional rail authorities, the Metropolitan Council, and the Minnesota Twins.

The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities operates a free bus system on its campus. This system includes the Campus Connector Bus Rapid Transit line which travels between the Minneapolis and St. Paul Campuses by a dedicated bus line, and throughout the two campuses on normal access roads.

In addition, Minnesota is one of several states in the Midwest examining the idea of setting up high-speed rail service using Chicago as a regional hub.[46]

In spite of its efforts to improve transportation, the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area is ranked as the fifth worst for congestion growth of similarly-sized U.S. metropolitan areas.[47]